Tian'anmen Square - The Witness of the Revolutionary Soul

Tian'anmen Square covers an area of 440,000 square meters and is the largest city square in the world. Tian'anmen Square is a meaningful witness of the Chinese national revolutionary soul and heroic spirit. Many famous revolutions happened there, such as the May 4th Movement, the December 9th Movement, and the May 20th Movement. Today, Tian'anmen Square is an entertainment area for local people and a popular attraction for visitors.

Why You Should Visit Tian'anmen Square

  • Visit the largest city square in the world and experience the real Beijing. Some of the local people often do exercises, fly kites, or have a stroll there; you can experience the authentic local lifestyle there.
  • Admire the Chinese revolutionary soul and modern history. Tian'anmen Square has witnessed some famous revolutions in Chinese history and spreads the spirit of Chinese revolution throughout time.
  • Explore Tian'anmen Tower, which was designed by the most famous architectural master during the Ming Dynasty, being the same designer of the three main palaces in the Forbidden City.

Main Attractions of Tian'anmen Square

Tian'anmen Square is not only a normal square but a comprehensive area of several attractions.  These include Tian'anmen Tower, the Great Hall of the People, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the National Museum of China, and Zhengyangmen.

Tian'anmen Tower

Tian'anmen Tower is located in the north of Tian'anmen Square and is one of the most splendid towers from ancient times.  Tian'anmen Tower is divided into two parts: the terrace and the tower. The terrace is made from white marble at a height of 34.7 meters.  There are 60 huge red circular pillars in Tian'anmen Tower while the ground is paved with gold. It was designed by a famous architectural master during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), named Kuaixiang. He was also the great designer of the three main halls of the Forbidden City.  His architectural artworks fully fused Chinese culture with traditional building skills.  The perfect design layout, creative artistic talent, majestic palace, and luxurious decorations make Tian'anmen Tower one of the highlights of Chinese architectural history.

Great Hall of the People

The Great Hall of the People is located at the western edge of Tian'anmen Square. It is 336 meters long, 206 meters wide, and 46.5 meters tall.  The building area of the Great Hall of the People is 170,000 square meters, which is even larger than the Forbidden City. It is usually used to hold legislative and ceremonial activities by the government, such as the National People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

Mausoleum of Mao Zedong

The Mausoleum of Mao Zedong is the highest mausoleum in China.  It is located in the south of Tian'anmen Square and was built to commemorate the great revolutionists in the modern history of China. The most renowned revolutionists include Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun. Plenty of photos, literature, and objects are there to show the great revolutionary achievements in the different ages of China.

Monument to the People's Heroes

The Monument to the People's Heroes is located in the center of Tian'anmen Square. It was designed by a famous modern architecture named Liang Sicheng in 1952. It's a significant monument to commemorate the people's heroes in modern Chinese history. It is not only a common monument but a representative building of modern Chinese architecture. Most of the famous Chinese architects, sculptors, artists, and engravers worked together to accomplish this great structure.

National Museum of China

The National Museum of China is located in the eastern part of Tian'anmen Square. It is a very famous museum, which has collected valuable cultural relics from almost all the ages of China. The National Museum of China covers about 200,000 square meters. It includes 48 exhibition halls and more than 1,000,000 collections.

Zhengyangmen

Zhengyangmen is located in the southernmost part of Tian'anmen Square. It was built as a defensive structure. It was constructed in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty and was regarded as one of the nine gates of old Beijing. According to the local chronicles: Zhengyangmen was majestic, tall, and vigorous. Today, it is the only complete ancient city gate and is a representative gate in Beijing.

Flag-Raising Ceremony

The flag-raising ceremony is not only a solemn ceremony but is a form of education in patriotism.  Tian'anmen Square's flag-raising ceremony is divided into two kinds: an ordinary ceremony and a grand ceremony on the first day of every month. During the ordinary ceremonies, there are 36 flag guards. However, there are more than 62 military band members in grand ceremonies.  The time of the flag-raising ceremony changes with the time of the sunrise, which occurs at about 5am.

Highlights of the Flag-Raising Ceremony

  • Duration: Every ceremony takes 2 minutes and 7 seconds — the time never changes.
  • 138 steps: The flag guards walk from Golden Water Bridge to the pole in 138 steps; the number of steps never alters.
  • Play the national anthem: With the password "salute", the military band will play the national anthem punctually.
  • After the salute: With the password "ceremony is over", 36 flag guards will put their guns down together.

Travel Tips

  • Location: West Changan Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
  • Area: 440,000 square meters
  • Open: all day
  • Visiting duration: about half an hour
  • Admission fee: free for Tian'anmen Square; 15 yuan for Tian'anmen Tower

Transportation

  • Bus lines: Take bus 1, 2, 52, 59, 82, 99, 120, or 126, sightseeing bus 1, or night bus 1, 2, or 17. Get off at the east side of Tian'anmen Square Station.
  • Subway: Take Metro Line 1 and get off at the east side of Tian'anmen Square Station.

Flag-Raising Ceremony

  • Time: every morning at about 5am
  • The best position: close to the flagpole or both sides of Golden Water Bridge
  • Notes: take your passport; it's cold in the morning so put on more clothes

Important Notes

  • Please protect the cultural relics and public facilities. Be respectful and don't mar the area or cross the lawn. Please take care of your valuables.

Related Articles

Related Tours